---
layout: docs
page_title: Autoload an enterprise license
description: >-
  Automatically load your Vault enterprise licenses.
---

# Autoload an enterprise license

@include 'alerts/enterprise-only.mdx'

<Tip title="Assumptions">

  - You have an available Vault Enterprise license key.
  - You have admin privileges for your Vault deployment environment.

</Tip>

Vault Enterprise automatically looks for valid license information in the
following locations:

Priority | Location             | Variable / Field
:------: | -------------------- | ----------------
1        | Environment variable | [`VAULT_LICENSE`](/vault/docs/commands#global-vault_license_path)
2        | Environment variable | [`VAULT_LICENSE_PATH`](/vault/docs/commands#global-vault_license)
3        | Config file          | [`license_path`](/vault/docs/configuration#license_path)

To configure license loading:

1. Run [`vault version`](/vault/docs/commands/version#version) to confirm the
   build date of your Vault binary is before the expiry date of your license
   key. Vault will not start if the applied license is expired.
1. Access the run environment for your Vault cluster.
1. Set the license key on each node of your cluster.
1. Make sure all nodes within a cluster use the same license key. Vault logs
   warnings if nodes within a cluster use different license key. Different
   clusters can use different license keys.
1. Call the
   [`/sys/config/reload/license`](/vault/api-docs/system/config-reload#reload-license-file)
   endpoint on each standby node for the cluster. Refreshing the license on
   standby nodes first reduces potential disruptions if you run into problems.
1. Call the
   [`/sys/config/reload/license`](/vault/api-docs/system/config-reload#reload-license-file)
   endpoint on the leader node for the cluster.
1. Run `vault license get` on each node or review the unseal logs for each node
   to verify the new license applied correctly.